Ophthalmology residents in the wet lab.
By Alexandra Brodin
Scheie Vision Annual Report 2020
Zujaja Tauqeer, MD, DPhil, a second-year resident in the University of Pennsylvania Department of Ophthalmology, recently undertook a major project to restore the Scheie Eye Institute wet lab. The wet lab contained an abundance of useful equipment, including a brand-new cataract surgery phacoemulsification machine, but was underutilized by residents and faculty. Dr. Tauqeer saw potential in the space as an important resource for resident education, and worked very hard over the last several months to turn the space into an organized resident wet lab.
The process of overhauling the resident wet lab, located in the basement of the Scheie Eye Institute, began in August 2020. The first steps were to clean and organize the space, which involved coordinating with maintenance staff. Dr. Tauqeer also worked with the Scheie operating room staff and the Department’s regular equipment suppliers to obtain ongoing supplies of tissues and instruments for use in surgery practice.
To ensure the upkeep of the wet lab going forward, Dr. Tauqeer created a plan for residents who are on the cornea rotation (which all residents complete in their first and second year) to take the lead in monitoring the condition of the space. They will also be responsible for organizing future wet labs, with help from an attending physician. “I hope that all future residents take ownership, and that both faculty and residents create a culture of expectation regarding ongoing maintenance and use of the wet lab,” said Dr. Tauqeer.
The first resident-run wet lab of the year took place on September 1. The residents held a suturing session with attending cornea surgeon Michael Sulewski, MD, and they hope to continue having wet labs on different topics. Dr. Tauqeer also hopes to obtain a new teaching microscope with an integrated projection screen to facilitate wet lab instruction, as well as individual sets of instruments for each resident to have for practice throughout his or her time in residency.